Many devices, including laptop computers, smart phones, and other portable computing devices, utilize a display screen for user interaction and user feedback. For example, smart phones commonly have displays comprising liquid-crystal display (LCD) screens that allow a processor to display information and media on the screen. Similarly, other portables devices, such as personal data assistants and laptop computer take advantage of the compact nature of using an LCD as the main visual interface. LCDs have become popular and widespread in usage in many applications because of their relatively robust nature and increasingly cheaper manufacture.
Through usage though, LCD screens, which comprise a matrix of pixels, may become damaged from use and/or abuse. That is, as one or more pixels are compromised, the overall LCD fails to operate properly as rows, columns or clusters of pixels no longer function correctly after damage. As a result, circuitry that drives the operation of the LCD can no longer function properly as well because damaged pixels do not behave as expected. Further, as the overall LCD is compromised in at least some of its pixels, the damaged LCD then may become a short circuit since the damaged pixels do not exhibit the same electrical characteristics as fully functioning pixels. If enough pixels, or a specific combination of pixels becomes damaged resulting in a short circuit, additional components in the overall device may also be damaged as electrical current may flow where no current was intended. Thus, damaged pixels in LCD devices may lead to further damage to other components in the device beyond the damaged LCD.